Modification of Chitosan

  • Unique Paper ID: 149397
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 227-232
  • Abstract:
  • Chitin/Chitosan is a substance that can be found from nature, especially in crustaceans like crab, prawn, and insects. Chitin/chitosan is a substance needed by cells of living things in addition to the five main food groups needed by the body, namely carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Chitin/Chitosan is, therefore, a food supplement that balances the use of the nutrients from the five main food groups.Chitin is the second most natural polysaccharide after cellulose on earth and is composed of β(1→4)-linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucose1 (N-acetylglucosamine) . It is often considered as cellulose derivative, even though it does not occur in organisms producing cellulose. It is structurally identical to cellulose, but it has acetamide groups (−NHCOCH3) at the C-2 positions. Similarly the principle derivative of chitin, chitosan is a linear polymer of α (1→4)-linked 2-amino-2-deoxyβ-D-glucopyranose and is easily derived by N-deactivation, to a varying extent that is characterized by the degree of DE acetylation, and is consequently a copolymer of acetylglucosamine and glucosamine.

Cite This Article

  • ISSN: 2349-6002
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 227-232

Modification of Chitosan

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